Juvenile Justice

[cowmilking]

My name is Terina Calmese from Illinois. My case is my 13 year old daughter accused my and my husband of abusing her which led to a DCFS investigation which came back unfounded. But, in the interim she was taken into custody of DCFS. First she was sent to a shelter which was just around the corner from our house where she was allowed to come on go as she pleased at any hour of the day or night and when I addressed this issue, I was told that IL. do not have locked facilities and they can not make her stay. Thereafter, she was sent to live in a group home where again she has come and gone as she pleases, she does not go to school and is having conflict with the staff when she is there...The group home has asked DCFS to find her another placement due to this. My daughter is only 13 years old and she is being allowed to do whatever she wants to do...In the meantime I am being charged with a lockout because DCFS stated that I refused to take her back into my home, when in fact they removed her from my home because she accused my husband and I of abusing her. DCFS do not have any communuication with me. I have addressed this issue to the judge in juvenile court, but yet again it has fallen on deaf ears. I was told that this was typical of children in group homes they always run away. That is not comfort to me. My child also has mental health issues which has been well documented by her own private therapist, and by DCFS doctors which they are totally ignoring. As of today she has been away from her placement for over a week and no one seems to be concerned. When my child was at home she was in therapy every week and she when to schook everyday. We did have problems with her, but we were handling them. I am trying to find what recourse do I have to get my child the help and structure she needs that the system promised they would give her, but has not. I am afraid for my child because she is in the streets all the time doing so very dangerous things.

Is there any recourse or accountability against the state or DCFS for there lack of service they have provided for my child? Is there anything I can do or do I just sit back and let this happen?

 

[BL]

My name is Terina Calmese from Illinois. My case is my 13 year old daughter accused my and my husband of abusing her which led to a DCFS investigation which came back unfounded. But, in the interim she was taken into custody of DCFS. First she was sent to a shelter which was just around the corner from our house where she was allowed to come on go as she pleased at any hour of the day or night and when I addressed this issue, I was told that IL. do not have locked facilities and they can not make her stay. Thereafter, she was sent to live in a group home where again she has come and gone as she pleases, she does not go to school and is having conflict with the staff when she is there...The group home has asked DCFS to find her another placement due to this. My daughter is only 13 years old and she is being allowed to do whatever she wants to do...In the meantime I am being charged with a lockout because DCFS stated that I refused to take her back into my home, when in fact they removed her from my home because she accused my husband and I of abusing her. DCFS do not have any communuication with me. I have addressed this issue to the judge in juvenile court, but yet again it has fallen on deaf ears. I was told that this was typical of children in group homes they always run away. That is not comfort to me. My child also has mental health issues which has been well documented by her own private therapist, and by DCFS doctors which they are totally ignoring. As of today she has been away from her placement for over a week and no one seems to be concerned. When my child was at home she was in therapy every week and she when to schook everyday. We did have problems with her, but we were handling them. I am trying to find what recourse do I have to get my child the help and structure she needs that the system promised they would give her, but has not. I am afraid for my child because she is in the streets all the time doing so very dangerous things.

Is there any recourse or accountability against the state or DCFS for there lack of service they have provided for my child? Is there anything I can do or do I just sit back and let this happen?

Who is charging you with locking your daughter out ?

Did your daughter ever come home and couldn't get in ?

 

[mommyof4]

Maybe I missed it in your post, and if so, I apologize, but...

If the report was unfounded, and she was removed pending conclusion of investigation, why has she not been returned?

 

[cowmilking]

The allegations of abuse was unfounded, but the lockout was not. She was not returned home because of this and the fact that she told DCFS she did not want to return home. I was told in the beginning that the lockout charge would be changed to a no fault dependency, but it never was. I have never locked her out or refuse to let her in my home.